Every Person Deserves a Champion

We all need a champion in our lives. Because life isn’t always roses and rainbows. And let’s face it, it isn’t easy to dig yourself out of every low point in your life. Help is always handy no matter how much we deny it. Thankfully, help can be found right around the corner if you are willing to look for it. I have found help in my well-wishers, my faith in God and in as insignificant things as my daily chores. Surprisingly, help has been delivered to me from unexpected sources too. I’m going to talk about one of those today.

So today, I decided to tell you about the person who has been a constant inspiration for me through the last 5 years of my life. She has seen me through my good days and my bad days and has made me believe in that silver lining even when it wasn’t there.

Rita Pierson. Educator. Believer.

(Image Source: https://www.thepositiveencourager.global/rita-f-pierson-every-child-needs-a-champion-video/)

It all started with her 2013 TED Talk, “Every kid needs a champion”.

She spoke about child education, but her talk meant way more for me than that. She spoke of putting human relationships before anything else, of building connections before becoming educators, of making a difference in people’s lives.

Her talk had somehow helped me cope with a lot of lows in the following years. It has lifted my spirits in days when I didn’t feel worthy enough. She taught me that “I am somebody – I was somebody when I came – I’ll be a better somebody when I leave”.

I believe she was speaking out to every one of us – she was urging us to rise from the ashes of our mistakes and become better versions of ourselves.

Every human is worthy – worthy of value, worthy of respect and worthy of love. It all comes down to how we treat others and the impact we have on their lives. These efforts affect our lives in tremendous ways without us even realizing it.

I think every person, adult and child, deserves a champion in their lives – someone “who would never give up on them, who understands the power of connection and insists that they become the best they can possibly be”. She has been one of the champions in my life.

Rita Pierson died shortly after the talk, but she left behind a legacy of her optimism and human connection. She had made a real difference in my life. The world needs more people like her – people who know how it’s done.

I probably know her talk by heart – that’s how many times I’ve listened to it. I’m sure you’ll find it inspiring too.